Germany captain Dennis Schroder led his country to a 107-88 group phase win over Lithuania at EuroBasket on Saturday, but the victory was marred by an ugly moment before halftime.
The 31-year-old guard was subjected to racial abuse from fans inside Finland’s Tampere Deck Arena, according to the Associated Press.
The German Basketball Association confirmed that two individuals were identified in the incident. B
oth were ejected from the arena, with one later banned for the remainder of the tournament after video review, per the Associated Press.
“FIBA unequivocally condemns hate speech, discriminatory conduct and racist language in any form,” the organization said in a statement. “Creating an inclusive, respectful and safe environment for players, teams and fans remains a fundamental priority of our sport.
FIBA has provided the relevant footage and information to local law enforcement authorities, who are continuing to investigate the matter.”
The incident took place as Schroder was walking to the locker room.
Afterward, he addressed the situation.
“Making monkey noises, that’s something I don’t respect,” Schroder said. “No matter what status, insults, that’s all fine. But racism simply doesn’t belong in this sport. That’s something that’s not OK.”
Former long-time NBA forward and current Lithuanian national team manager Linas Kleiza explained things from his perspective.
“…Obviously, all the German players were emotional, and we had to calm things down,” he said, via Basket News. “I went, found out what happened. One fan simply had a conflict with Schroder, and it turned into a racism scandal.”
“As a national team, as fans, we are all against such things. That’s why I resolved it, apologized, and I think, for as much as we are responsible, we did everything we could.”
He added, “It was a very unfortunate incident, but to throw such broad responsibility on everyone, I think, is unfair. The matter was resolved, and FIBA has to take over this issue and investigate all the circumstances—it is not our fault. During halftime, accusations were directed at us. Unfortunately, we are not responsible for the fans.”
READ MORE: Dawn Staley Would Have Left South Carolina For Knicks HC Role